Evan Narcisse

Batman's a character often portrayed as the ultimate loner, but giving Bruce Wayne an actual, biological son has been the best thing to happen to him in recent years. A few years ago, writer Grant Morrison introduced the character of Damian Wayne—the result of the dysfunctional romance between Batman and Talia, daughter of archenemy Ra's Al Ghul—and the condescending Son of the Bat's gone one to become his father's sidekick.

Damian was raised by Talia and Ra's to be an unparalleled assassin, something that Batman's no-kill brand of crime-fighting doesn't allow. That tension between Bat-father and Bat-son has been the focus in the New 52 run of Batman & Robin—written by Peter Tomasi with art from Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray—where a new villain named Nobody has tried to entice Damien into taking a life. This preview of Batman & Robin #5 shows the current Robin's struggle with murderous temptation. It'll be out next Wednesday in comics shops and digital comics storefronts everywhere. Click each page for a larger version.